Vietnam War Pavilion in Honolulu dedicated

HONOLULU, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- A Veterans Day ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific will include a dedication of the Vietnam War Pavilion in Honolulu, officials say.

Hawaii's Sen. Daniel Akaka is to be the keynote speaker and Max Cleland, secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission and former U.S. senator from Georgia, is the distinguished speaker.

The new pavilion will complement the Honolulu Memorial's Courts of the Missing of the Vietnam War, making up the only memorial to veterans of the Vietnam War built solely with federal funds.

The Honolulu Memorial, located on the grounds of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, was established by the American Battle Monuments Commission to honor the sacrifices and achievements of U.S. armed forces in the Pacific during World War II and the Korean War.

It includes names of 18,096 individuals missing in action or lost at sea from World War II and the names of 8,200 individuals listed as missing from Korea.

As part of the memorial, there are large mosaic maps explaining the major military campaigns in the Pacific during World War II and Korea. This year, two mosaic maps will be added to complete the memorial and help tell the story of Americans who served in Vietnam, officials said.

Constructed by The Armbruster Co. of Glenview, Ill., the two mosaic maps show the overall theater of the Vietnam War and the sites of major battles fought during the conflict.

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